This blog is about my new Civil War history, Our War: Days and Events in the Fight for the Union.

Friday, January 31, 2014

The 4th N.H.'s first battle, illustrated

A surveyor before the war, Capt. George F. Towle of the 4th
New Hampshire Volunteers had an engineer’s mind and a talent for drafting. On
Oct. 30, he wrote a long letter to his friend Charles W. Brewster,
editor of the Portsmouth Journal. His
main purpose was to complain about his lot, but we’ll save that part of the letter for the next
post.

Eight days before Towle wrote, the 4th New Hampshire had
fought its first battle – “seen the elephant,” as the soldiers referred to the experience. It was a small one by Civil War standards, the Battle of Pocotaligo, S.C., but deadly and face-to-face. The regiment was part of a force of 4,000 men sent to cut
off the railroad line between Savannah and Charleston, isolating Charleston. The
Yankees were opposed by 2,000 rebels under Col. William S. Walker, but these
men were reinforced from Savannah and Charleston at the crucial moment.

Towle made drawings of troop positions during the three
phases of the battle and sent them to Brewster with short descriptions of what
happened at each. Together these give a careful, accurate account of the battle (Towle exaggerated the size of the rebel force, but that is standard practice in soldier battle accounts). I’ve
reproduced the drawings and commentary below, but let’s begin with Towle’s
description of what he is sending to Brewster:

A portion of Lt. Guy V. Henry's battery, which supported the Pocotaligo

“Thinking it might interest you I enclose some rough
sketches of the first fight in which the 4th New Hampshire had the fortune to
meet the enemy face to face. . . . I think they will give you some idea of the
position occupied by the 4th N.H. in the fights. At the last position we were
brought up by a marsh said to be
impassable, the causeway being torn up. On the opposite side were the rebels in
equal force – 4000 to 5000 – with 12 pieces of Artillery. We could hear the
trains arriving with reinforcements & the cheers of the soldiers as they
arrived.

“I sometimes think that if we had been ordered to charge
across, we might have carried the position, but would have suffered much
undoubtedly The slight loss of our regiment was owing to its coming up to the
last position deployed as skirmishers. My company followed the road, deployed on
each side, and was near Henry’s battery upon which the whole rebel fire of 12
pieces was concentrated. It was here I had one man killed and two wounded. Had
we been in close order I should have but half my company. I have written on the
back of the sketches the explanation of the actions.”

Here are Capt. Towle's drawings with his descriptions of what happened:

The top notation reads: "Thick woods full of rebels"

First Position

After landing, the troops took up their line of march for
Pocotaligo Bridge, in the following order, as set down in the sketch: The 47th Pennsylvania,
deployed as skirmishers, had the advance – followed by the 4th N.H., 6th Conn. and
55th Penn., successively, 2d Brigade bringing up the rear. After marching about
5 miles we came into an open field, and fire was then opened on us by the
rebels with two pieces of artillery in the road, concealed by a thick belt of
woods which were full of rebel sharpshooters. After some fighting the regels
fell back across a marsh, taking up the bridge behind them. The 47th Penn.,
which had suffered severely, reformed in rear of the 6th Conn., and the 4th N.H.
now took the advance.

The top notation reads: "Belt of woods full of rebel infantry."

Second Position

The rebels having fallen back across the marsh, again opened
on us as we advanced. After a few rounds from Henry’s Battery the 4th N.H. were
ordered to charge. Co. “F” ’s position came precisely opposite the bridge. The
companies to the left of the bridge, not being able to ford, had to come down and
cross to the bridge. The companies to the right of the bridge forded the marsh
with difficulty. Co. “F” rushed across the bridge. The planks had been torn up,
and they crossed on the string pieces in great haste, leaving behind a caisson
full of ammunition & and wounded officer with his horse. 2 or 3 dead rebels
lay scattered around. We kept up the pursuit from this position to the 3d position,
a distance of 3 miles, the country being mostly thickly wooded.

The top notation reads: "Woods full of rebel infantry, 12 pieces of cannon."

Third and Last Position

Upon arriving at the point where the road came upon the
marsh, a furious fire from 12 pieces of cannon was opened upon us. A heavy
infantry fire was also poured in. Our artillery – Henry’s battery of 2 guns – replied
till ammunition gave out. The causeway had been torn up – night was coming on –
the enemy were rapidly getting re-inforcements. The firing on both sides had
been very hot and at short range. Besides shot, shell, grape and chain shot,
the rebels fired glass bottles and old spikes from their guns. It appearing
then to our generals that the bridge, which was now only a mile or so distant,
could not be taken, a retreat was ordered. The 4th N.H. was selected to cover
the retreat, and picked up the dead and wounded. It was from 7 p.m. till 3 the
next morning retreating back 8 miles, which proves that the rebels did not care
to follow us.

[The Towle letter with drawings is from the collection of the New Hampshire Historical Society.]